Darktable currently only supports layer export with TIF and XCF. However, TIF is exported differently than XCF, sometimes as a pixel channel, sometimes as a real layer …
Channel aka Layer in Gimp - This is a XCF.
Layer as Layer in Gimp - this is a TIF.
Actually, EXR has become the universal exchange format between Blender/ Gimp/ Davinci/ Affinity unameit … The advantages are obvious: Small file size (with the DWAA codec), 32bit float, layer AND channel, import and export to Davinci, Blender, Gimp, Darktable etc.pp.
I would be really pleased if there is a possibility in Darktable to output the masks as real layers (not channels) in EXR. That would truly save a lot of work …
OK, now I understand. dt exports the mask as a channel, right? So it works.
I was a bit confused because unfortunately GIMP cannot import layers in EXR files yet. Something I’m waiting for since a few years:
That would be the multi-part OpenEXR 2.0 alternative then (thanks for the link)? (Making it more like a multi-page TIFF that is imported as layers in GIMP.)
I guess we’d want to stick w/ channels then for the time being so dt and GIMP can work together…
Hi Milos, Tobias, hiding layers in channels in GIMP is OK for me so far. To be honest, it took me a while to figure it out …
For consistency, it would be good if one day all layer exports would be handled in the same way. One problem could be when you want to come back to DT.
E.g. you can change the image in Blender, go back to Affinity, change different things, go on to Blender …
I don’t use GIMP that much. (usual workflow is: DT to Affinity (to Blender) to Davinci). So GIMP users may have a different perspective on the issue?
